2010 Update

It’s been another busy year for the young members of Broughton Runners. For starters they’ve continued to train every Tuesday evening. Now that it’s dark the sessions are alternately at Eccleriggs under the lights, and in the Victory Hall. In the summer running is from the Parsonage Room and tends to be either in the park or on the railway line, sometimes we get as far afield as Woodland Fell!  On behalf of the kids I’d like to thank all the people who are involved in the provision of those venues. They do a great service to Broughton Runners and to the rest of the community.

Around 30 young people between 9 and 17 are members of the group, and they are mostly very regular attenders who put a great deal of effort into every session. It is in fact a constantly uplifting experience for the five or six coaches and adult helpers to witness all the hard work and friendly competition that goes on every week. Our Christmas party last year started with a training session in the park, which was in full swing when the Deardens came past on skis! Frank and I later had a discussion on  definitions  of child abuse.

It is perhaps easy to understand the motivation of those who compete successfully; quite why young people continue to be so highly engaged when they aren’t winning races, or when they don’t compete at all, is much harder to comprehend. That however is the most uplifting bit! Good luck to them all – they deserve it!

In more tangible terms this year Jack represented Cumbria at Cross Country; the two Katies, Matthew, Callum and Sean ran Cross Country either for South Lakeland or Barrow areas. A different foursome (Leah, Robert, Eilidh and Dan;  three of whom were at least two years under age) competed regularly as fellrunners in the Kendal Winter League. Many raced locally through the summer fellrunning season winning several races (Gavin, Jamie, Emma, Amy and Jake). Four of our members (Matthew, Katie W, Malachy and Jack)  travelled to Norway with the North West Junior Orienteering Squad last summer, and trained and raced against the best competition in the world. All  of those bar Malachy were selected for Great Britain squad training in Scotland. Malachy was consoled by becoming Cumbria Schools Year 11 Orienteering Champion.  Broughton based charities helped to fund these expeditions, and running kit has been similarly funded. The youngsters are grateful to the Duddon Parish CGP Trust  Fund, the Agnes Dixon Trust and the Parish Pump for their continuing support. The coaches feel quite indebted to these organisations which make organising the club much less of a ‘hand to mouth’ operation.

More recently ten of the group went to Epping Forest for the British Schools Orienteering Championships and running against a field of 800 we came away with an unprecedented haul! Jack and Matthew won Individual Silver Medals; Zephan and Callum each won Team Bronze; Dan won Team Silver; and Malachy and Megan took Team Gold Medals. Seven medallists from our little club in our tiny town 250 miles away from the venue. Amazing! And one who won nothing at that event, Katie W, had triumphed in April at the JK Orienteering Festival, Britain’s biggest event of the year, as W14 Champion, in what was probably the achievement of the year by a Broughton Runner.

Selwyn      December 2010